Oar Plans?

[Jim Carroll]

Anyone know of plans to build 5'5" oars? I was planning to build them out of a spruce 2X6

[Bruce Hooke]

There are oar plans available from the WoodenBoat store (under Plans...Woodworking Projects).

Also, there was a great article in the July/August 1986 (issue #71) on making oars, which included Pete Culler's oar plans. And there was another good article in issue 127 that also included plans.

On all of these plans they may not be specifically 5' 5" oars but adjusting the length should not be that hard because all you really need to do is shorten the section between the handle and the blade...

[ 06-11-2002, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: Bruce Hooke ]

[DougC]

You can get some good oar plans from Mystic Seaport's plans dept. (try www.mysticseaport.org). I believe they're Pete Cullers'. Longer than what you wanted, but it should be pretty easy to shorten them.
Doug

[Greg H]

Hi Jim,
While looking at the web the other day, I came across free oar plans:

http://www.bateau.com/free/simple_oars.html

You should be able to adjust the lenght to suit.
--------G

[ 06-12-2002, 07:34 AM: Message edited by: Greg H. ]

[cs]

Okay I know that this has been asked before, but I really don't feel like searching the forum for it and besides it is always good to repeat good information. What is the formula for figuring the length of oars? I know that this is kinda of a generic forumula, but it is a starting point.

Chad

[Donn]

From oar-makers Shaw & Tenney:

"Inboard length of the loom equals 1/2 the span between the oarlocks, +2".

Total length of oar equals 1/7 of inboard length multiplied by 25.

Leverage Ration is 7:18

Distance from the center of the leather to end of grip equals 7/25 of the total length of the oar."

[cs]

So Don what you are saying is if the beam is 48" you take half of that (24) add 2 to it to get 26. Divide that by 7 to get 3.7143 and multiply by 25 to get a total oar length of 92.8571" or 7'-8 7/8". Does that sound right?

Chad

[Donn]

Sounds right to me, Chad.

Here are some more oar-making links:

Here's a link with plans of "quick-and-dirty" oars, which break down for storage, and are made of PVC and plywood:

http://catalog.com/bobpone/oars.htm

= = = = =

This site has some step-by-step photos of home-built oars:

http://www.hallman.org/roar/

= = = = =

and more:

http://www.digitalnorseman.com/bcvsp/oars.html

= = = = =

and more:

http://home.attbi.com/~michaelgalvin/MakeOarsPage.htm

= = = = =

and finally, Dynamite Payson's Pictorial Guide to making your own oars!

http://www.instantboats.com/oarmaking.htm

[Donn]

Chad...keep in mind that the formula for oar length does not take into account some things that can make a difference in use. Things like the length of your arms, the height of your gunwale and oar-lock horn, and the height of the seat you use when rowing. If you will row while standing up, your oars will need to be longer. If you don't want the oar grips to overlap each other while rowing, forget about adding 2" to half the beam. Longer oars, with narrower blades, work better in choppy water. Shorter oars make tight quarters maneuvering easier.

[Tom Lathrop]

Ok Donn,

I've never made oars other than quicky stuff for temporary use, but have just finished a dinghy/tender and need some for it.

It's the usual 7' 11" transom bow but is a bit beamier than normal at 51". I was intending to make them shorter than the formula indicates to make it easier maneuvering around the boat and docks. I don't intend to make any long rows and speed is not a big consideration. Energy expended is important though.

What do you advise?

[Donn]

Tom...if your use will be quiet water and short distances in crowded anchorages, I'd suggest shorter than formula oars with wider than usual blades. Remember, if you're using 7' oars, you need 14'+ to get between two boats. You should see me rowing out of my canal with my 10' oars...I cut a wide swath!

[Bill Dodson]

And don't forget that you can scull over the stern in really narrow spaces.

If you don't want to cut a sculling notch in your boat's transom, you can mount an oarlock back there... which is the sort of arrangement I learned to scull with in a pram my dad had built.

Bill